The subject invention relates to an electrically driven scroll type of compressor and, more specifically, to a method of fabricating such and assembly.
The scroll compressors of the type to which the subject invention pertains include an electric motor in driving engagement with an orbiting scroll member having an orbiting scroll vane overlapping a fixed vane of a fixed scroll member. Examples of same are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,149 to Sakai et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,650 to Yasu et al. The electric motor includes a rotor shaft rotatably supported between a main bearing support and a lower bearing support, which are, in turn, supported in a shell extending along an axis between open ends. Such scroll compressors require precise positional alignment of the fixed scroll member relative to the orbiting scroll member. The current art uses fasteners to secure the fixed scroll member to the main bearing support, and shims to establish a precise and selected axial gap between the scroll members. The orbiting scroll member is aligned to the main bearing support through an anti-rotation means precisely machined into the main bearing support and orbiting scroll member. The fixed scroll member is aligned to the main bearing support by precision assembly fixturing, alignment dowels or other precise means and subsequently fastened to the main bearing support with screws. Typically, shims are selected and placed between the fixed scroll member and the surface on the main bearing support that it seats against to establish a precise gap between the each vane and opposing scroll member.
There is a need for a method of assembly that eliminates the shims, pins, and fasteners required in the present art.
The subject invention provides a method of fabricating a scroll compressor of the type including an electric motor in driving engagement with an orbiting scroll member having an orbiting scroll vane overlapping a fixed vane of a fixed scroll member, all of which are housed in a shell extending along an axis between open ends. The method includes the steps of orientating the fixed scroll member angularly about the axis of the shell relative to the orbiting scroll member and then pressing the fixed scroll member axially into sealing engagement with the shell and into a predetermined spaced relationship with the orbiting scroll member with the scroll vanes of the scroll members in axially overlapping relationship for pumping action between the vanes.
The advantages of the subject invention include reduced cost through part elimination, improved quality due to reduction in accumulated tolerances of mating parts, and improvement in manufacturing processing due to the elimination of xe2x80x9cselect-fitxe2x80x9d processing. A drastic reduction in compressor size (diameter) can be realized by this utilizing this invention.